LEADERSHIP CUES TASK AND CONVERGENCE

Blog 5

REVISED NARROWED THESIS

With the convergence emergence generation upon us, virtual communities are becoming the latest fashion trend within the scope of computer-mediated communication (CMC), precisely, the environment of the internet. From on-line game communities to fan forum threads, these virtual communities are serving as social, psychological, competitive, and task oriented entities for their participants.

I contend that because these virtual communities are relevant to convergence models and its noted concepts, their intricacies, as a community group, recognize the traditional hierarchal concept of emergence of leadership and within their realms and this traditional leader-role emergence within the confines of the on-line CMC utilizes cyber-based context and tasks to determine leadership selection rather than normal face to face verbal and non-verbal cues of leadership determination. I further contend that convergence of mediums and their usage plays a role in the cyber-based context that is utilized to determine virtual community leadership selection.

ARTICLES

White, N. (2004), Facilitating and hosting a virtual community. Retrieved
February 26, 2009, from http://www.fullcirc.com/community/communityfacilitation.htm

Summary

This article discusses the concept of virtual community leadership roles through the facilitation process within the context of recognized leadership tasks in a virtual leadership role. Tasks such as providing guidance, clear mission and purpose, helping to meet groups goals, fostering member motivation, providing and encouraging skilled communication, team building, conflict management, enhancing a comfortable environment for members and ensuring that virtual group members needs are met are discussed. These leadership tasks all take place in a virtual community therefore; convergence of technology and its use play a role in the strength of virtual leadership facilitation and successful task completion.

Koh, J., Kim, Y., Butler, B. and Bock G. (2007, February). Encouraging participation in virtual
Communities. Communications of the ACM, 50(2), 69-73. Retrieved February 25, 2009
From Academic Search Premier database.

Summary

This article discusses the structure and roles of leadership in virtual communities and how computer mediated communication with the inclusion of several converged mediums, graphical, textual, and video interfaces (avatars, graphic images, video chat) play a role in leadership role and tasks. It defines virtual community and connects technology in the context of leadership tasks while defining the importance of integrated technology to the success of leadership task.

Yu, C., & Young, M. (2008, February). The virtual group identification Process: a virtual
Educational community case. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(1) 87-90. Retrieved
February 25, 2009, doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9929

Summary

This article discussed virtual communities as social interaction groups in the context of the establishment of virtual group identities. It clearly defines the role of group leadership and its importance to the identity and strength of a virtual group through discussion of leadership tasks or cues.

Butler, B., (2001). Membership size, communication activity, and sustainability: a resource-
Based model of online social structures. Information Systems Research; Dec 2001;
12, 4; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 346-362

Summary

This study examined virtual communities within the context of size, activity, and sustainability and how these factors play a determinant role in the structure of a virtual group. The areas discussed were resource availability, leadership task, communication activity, (volume and variation of posts), the discussion of text converging with internet as alternative to “physical/face to face communication infrastructures” are discussed (p.351).

RELATION TO THESIS

These articles are the foundation for presenting the main context of my thesis, the emergence of traditional leadership concepts in the structure of CMC cyber-based context or virtual communities. They present individual task factors of virtual community leadership emergence and the role convergence of mediums (text, video, internet, graphics, etc.), plays in perception and actuality of virtual leadership position.

NET FREEDOM

The intensifying battle over Internet freedom

By Joanne Leedom-Ackerman Joanne Leedom-ackerman – Tue Feb 24, 3:00 am ET

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20090224/cm_csm/yleedomackerman

On Cue for Leadership Final Paper

TOPIC

The topic for my Final Paper is leadership emergence and roles in virtual communities and the cue comparison for leadership determination between normal verbal and non-verbal cues of face to face communities vs. technological tool cues for virtual communities.

THESIS

With the convergence emergence generation upon us, virtual communities are becoming the latest fashion trend within the scope of computer-mediated communication (CMC), precisely, the environment of the internet. From on-line game communities to fan forum threads, these virtual communities are serving as social, psychological, competitive, and task oriented entities for their participants.

As explained by our convergence model class discussions, these virtual communities provide one of the tools for the continued circulatory motion of concepts within existing technological, cultural, industrial and societal aspect layers of our lives:

• Highly participative cultures where the use, influence, centralized and collective intelligence are utilized to maintain the communities;
• Consumer up/Producer down transactions – online discussion threads utilized for marketing techniques that offer incentives such as rewards for number of postings and producers of goods and services utilize discussion comments to influence their business decisions; and
• On-line personal media content that’s portable and able to travel.

I contend that because these virtual communities are relevant to convergence models and its noted concepts, their intricacies, as a community group, recognize the traditional hierarchal concept of emergence of leadership within their realms and this traditional leader-role emergence within the confines of the on-line CMC utilizes cyber-based context to determine leadership selection rather than normal face to face verbal and non-verbal cues of leadership determination.

Articles:

Blanchard, A. (2004). Virtual behavior settings: an application of behavior setting
Theories to virtual communities. MCMC 9 (2) January 2004. Retrieved
February 20, 2009 from: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol9/issue2/blanchard.html

Summary – An overview and discussion of CMC virtual communities in terms of what participant needs they fill, characteristics of their technology, theory of virtual behavior settings, participants in terms of the virtual behavior settings, and the types of members the behavior settings attract and the allowance of types such as leaders and participants.

Clippinger, Dr. J. Leadership. Retrieved February 11, 2009 from:
www.dodcrp.org/files/Leadership.pdf

Summary – A discussion of leadership in the context of “network leadership roles” such as “alpha member, gatekeeper, visionary, truth-teller, fixer, connector, enforcer and facilitator. Each role is examined within a networking framework.

Kelly, E., Davis, B., Nelson, J., and Mendoza, J. (2008) Leader emergence in an Internet
Environment ScienceDirect, Computers in Human Behavior 24 (2008), 2372-2383.
Doi:10.1016/jchb.2008.02.013. Retrieved February 20, 2009 from: www.sciencedirect.com

Summary – A look at how individual leadership emergence takes place within an Internet environment looking at technology tools such as emoticons, web-based initializations, and technical speak for the entities that predict leadership emergence vs. the normal verbal and nonverbal cues of face to face community contact.

Relationship to Thesis

The three articles are related to my thesis because they cover three foundational aspects of my paper, defining traditional networking leadership roles and their expected behaviors, recognized virtual communities behavior settings and the culmination of these two aspects for emergence of leadership within the Internet environment utilizing technology tools vs. the normally expected verbal and non-verbal cues for leadership.

Convergence and the Human GPS Factor

Interesting article on how information collected via what we search, blog, whatever we do on the Internet and how it can be utilized in a detrimental fashion:

As Data Collecting Grows, Privacy Erodes

NOAM COHEN

Published: Monday, February 16, 2009 at 5:24 a.m.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090216/ZNYT05/902163009/2193/SPORTS?Title=As_Data_Collecting_Grows__Privacy_Erodes

Convergence and the New Generation

Carr Article

"Stupid is as Stupid does" is something Forrest Gump would say and the article by Carr seems to suggest that "stupid is what stupid doesn't do." Carr suggest that convergence of mediums is taking us on the fast track to changing our thinking process into becoming mindless autobots who thrive on the quick, convenient, skimming processes of the Internet while giving up the enjoyment and quality of older more formal mediums like reading a printed novel. He suggests that we've reduced quality while increasing quantity of our information input thus changing our brains thought process.

Audio Presentation

Cangialosi suggests that e-mail is the dominant medium and utilizing the social aspect of e-mail with the medium of Podcasting is the way to go for marketing a product, business, organization, etc. He believes convergence has caused the shifting of mediums, the old are still there but are improving by the demand that information become customized and individualized and all are integrating changing the notion of communication as we know it. It allows for greater expanse of audience to include customers, employees and the media.

Chaudhry
Discusses the influence blogs have in the political arena. Politicians are turning to blogs and those blogging to strengthen their ideals and elections.

Carr Article Key Points

• The net is the most popular and utilized medium for information we gather. It is biological in nature by us seeing, hearing and thinking. The problem with this is it becomes the output of our intelligence making it mechanically influenced, step like, measurable and optimizable.
• The Internet is changing our thought process of how we concentrate, comprehend, and think causing us to switch from quality of thought processes to quantity of information and the computer is the tool linked to this change in process.
• The Internet is becoming the tool that is everything to us consuming our day and taking the place of other intellect tools we use like clock, newspaper, pen and paper, telephone, TV, radio and it goes on and on.

Cangialosi Key Points

• E-mail is the dominant medium and it is important to maximize your marketing process by utilizing this social medium.
• There is a shift in mediums that improve the existing, integrate them with the new and each other creating the shift to individualized and custom communication. He sees it as a pyramid as such:

Podcasting

Digital Text - Audio Video

Radio and TV Older Mediums

• Podcasting allows the expansion of ones addition to include the press and media, customer, and even employees therefore any kind of business, organization or individual can utilize it. It enhances, expands, and amplifies the effects of marketing while allowing the individual producer of the podcast to be the inventor of it. It gives the ability for the individual person, organization or business to establish and brand themselves, gain a larger audience and keep a record or library of content concerning themselves.
• Its utilization is for outreaching, educating, branding, building relationships with public and media, advertising, marketing, archiving, increasing effective communication and even training.

Chaudhry

• Democrats embrace blogs to help with political success called "netroots."
• The American public can blog anything they are thinking and feeling and the blogs represent democratic values as well as bringing about changes in society norms.
• There is debate as to if blogs can influence all aspects of elections.
• Blogs are considered the new social speaking medium.
  

Challenging Concepts

Carr Article

A challenging concept for me is how we will deal with the convergence concept while we keep the entities of thought process to provide quality and not just quantity. Teachers are already recognizing this in the next generation of students who write, read and think outside the box and differently causing it to be harder to teach them.

Cangialusi

The challenging concept here is the extent to which communication will evolve and become individualized, I'm wondering if there will be more innovators of communication than those who will listen. Then it will become saturated and just another thing that's there instead of the marketing giant they want it to be.

Chaudhry

Is there a challenge or social discourse amongst those who can and can not afford to be a part of the blogging society, is the influence then unbalanced and unfair?

Questions:

• What are the ways folks notice the quantity vs quality of thought process in those around them both adults and children?
• Will podcasting become the next yellow pages that talk?
• Is it really feasible that politicians who utilize the blogs are being fair, unbiased and representing all their constituents?
  

Relationship to the real world is that I already notice the thought process change in my grandson, he'd much rather click the mouse quickly for pictures and info then spend the time sitting and improving his reading skills and he's only 6. Even though the older medium of print exists in the books and on paper, he wants the mouse for his pencil and the screen for his book.

Podcasting is available with the push of my computer button, after reading the article I encouraged my son to perhaps think of doing one for his business.

I personally read the Drudge, Politico, and Huffington during the campaign.

Convergence Emergence and Consequences of Action

I saw this episode, the guy was indeed rude, obnoxious and down right insulting. Seems the convergence emergence has caught him in the act and expecting him to suffer the consequences.

Yahoo! TV Blog

Husbands Behaving Badly

By Lizbeth Scordo | Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 2:25 PM

Fowler's "Wife Swap" behavior has been criticized.

ABC

It's 2009, the end of a decade which -- when it comes to television -- was defined in large part by reality shows. By now, most of us reality fans have become a bit jaded. Backstabbing, catfights, rants, breakdowns - there's just not much shock value left anymore. So after Valleywag ran this story about public reaction to one man's behavior on (of all shows) "Wife Swap" a few weeks ago, it got me thinking about how this particular guy had disturbed and outraged so many people.

If you've never seen the show, it's a basic enough concept. Two women, usually from very different families and very different parts of the country, trade places and move in with each other's husbands and children for two weeks. The housewife swaps with the career woman. The mom of a sports-obsessed family moves in with a brood of bookworms. The hour is often filled with plenty of head-butting, but usually everyone goes back to the farm/penthouse/commune/mansion richer for the experience.

Even anti-Fowler t-shirts are being sold.

On the January 30th episode Gayla Long, a Missouri wife and mother of four whose family loves fast food, ATVs and paintball, swapped lives with life coach and weight-loss hypnotherapist Renee Stephens who lives in a tony San Francisco neighborhood, spends $40,000 a year to send her two young children to a French bilingual private school, and, along with her husband, is die-hard about environmental issues and staying healthy. Obviously, this wasn't going to be a match made in heaven, but things took an unexpectedly bad turn when Renee's British venture capitalist husband, Stephen Fowler, began acting downright cruel to Gayla. He continually humiliated her in front of his kids, insulted everything from her hometown to her language skills, told her he earns more in a week than she does in a year and even banned her from setting foot upstairs. One of the "Wife Swap" gimmicks is letting the wives implement new rules for their new homes (Renee, for example, put a moratorium on paintball and set up family French lessons), but bratty Stephen refused everything Gayla suggested, like letting the children ride go-carts and getting the family to sing the national anthem. After launching multiple attacks of verbal abuse against Gayla, it was Stephen who called in the show's producers to try to end the swap, eventually causing his temporary wife to move to a hotel.

Guess what? Viewers didn't like it. They blasted Fowler on all kinds of web sites, message boards, and blogs. He's been labeled the worst husband in the world and someone even posted his home address on a reality TV site, prompting an email threatening a lawsuit. Yet another angered viewer launched a blog called stephenfowlersucks.com, which itemizes everyone Fowler insulted during the episode. (Overweight people and military members topped the list.)

So back to that question of why this guy struck such a nerve with so many of us when we've surely seen similar or worse behavior on TV multiple times over. Maybe it's because his cruelty was so uncalled for. We reality viewers may be used to seeing people resort to bad behavior when, say, they're competing for a million-dollar prize or for the love of a big-haired '80s rocker, but just for the sheer joy of being as mean as possible and making someone feel horrible? Well, that's just taking it too far. In the end, it sounds like Stephen Fowler did indeed learn a few lessons, albeit after the cameras stopped rolling. He posted an apology on his wife's web site (editor's note: the site http://renee.personallifemedia.com now appears to be offline), and according to apologies she posted on her website, she's asked him to seek professional help. He has also reportedly resigned from the boards of two environmental non-profits so, he says, his behavior won't reflect badly on them. As for Gayla, she's probably thrilled to be done with her nightmarish foray into reality TV, and I'm certain she didn't leave her heart in San Francisco.

Talk About It: What are your thoughts on Stephen Fowler's behavior?

Convergence Theory
Group – Theresa Marriott, Anjum Rasheed and Ayo Johnson

Convergence is the process that exposes and saturates new mediums of technology within all aspects of our lives. It enables the breakdown of the smaller social, technological, industrial and cultural boundaries already in place and consistently heightens the demand for new technologies.

If we look at convergence as process of new mediums that slowly trickle down and mesh with existing mediums we realize that the new coexists with the old and each finds its place. This coexistence produces saturation within the media audience. Technological advancements, our social structure, cultural behaviors and industrial demands become the layers that support the process. And because all are considered and influence demand the nature of convergence is highly cyclical.

Every consumer is introduced and able to contribute to the process and therefore, collective intelligence naturally occurs. As described in our text convergence becomes an extension of our five senses, is biological in behavior and demands communication so that everyone participates. This participative nature allows freedom of personal choice and therefore is a cause and effect in the production and consumption of not only goods and services but the new mediums as well.

An example would be advertising. We’ve had radio advertising for a relatively long period of time, and although competing with various newer forms of entertainment, it is now possible to Google a radio station on the computer, click a link and order the product right from your own home. The old medium is coexisting with the new with greater participatory action and directly creating the top down, bottom up process brought about by the process of convergence.

Knowledge Worth Spoiling

Recap of Article and Book Chapter

Hilf's article introduces us to the ideology that all new mediums are based and standardized by the performance and existance of old mediums. He suggests that convergence shares elements while adding new elements and increasing value of mediums. I was especially interested in the idea that as the web emerged it became a comodity and therefore was expected to adhere to idustrial rules, however it has now evolved into a participative culture with 24/7 access and constant communication. It involves a massive amount of converged connections with techology as tool, and incorporates all the senses while maintaining the historical foundations. It is his suggestion that we breakaway from if it works don't fix it mentality and allow the web to evolve and formulate change on its own.

Jenkins takes us into the fascinating converged world of the spoiling community and emphasizes points utilizing facets of how they operate. This sharing of collective intelligence is a formadiable force in its own right and has the ability to not only drive industry but change lives. It is paticipation of a mass scale drawing and pulling individuals into ivoking the utilizaiton of all their senses and bridging emotional ties through the printed on-line media.

The following article further discusses this war with Lost in the drive of industry, promoters vs. spoiling community members:

Spoiler Wars Heat Up as Lost Returns
http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2009/01/new-lost-season.html

Key Ideas

Article -

• Converging continues to exist, is on-going, and a convergence of historical and shared elements (p. 1)
• It is a participative entity that incorporates technical, social, industrial and personal aspects of our culture (p. 2 & 7).
• Technology remains the tool driving the large amounts of distribution of mass media creating massive amounts of connections and drawing us biologically and emotionally into its world and suggests for this reason we should let the web become its own entity that doesn't rely on the past historical mediums for guidance (p. 7-9).

Book Chapter-

• The ability for sharing collective knowledge (intelligence) creates a democratic atmosphere and empowers anyone to participate through a social process which meets emotional and intellectural needs of the members. (p.29,54, 57)
• The internet becomes a way that allows you to talk back to the TV so to speak by providing the means to discuss, argue, suggest, debate, critique and become part of the industry (p.26).
• Shared intelligence via the net is a reciprocal sharing of knowledge and producing of knowledge (p.27).

Challenging Concepts

I would like to have more understanding concerning convergence in relation to revenue models and how and why it is reinvented through maturing of media as mentioned by Hilf.

I found this article as a start:

http://www.ismretail.com/index.php?option=com_jambozine&layout=article&view=page&aid=7207&Itemid=56

Henry Jenkins mentioned the fact that providing information without concerning oneself with other's preferences is somewhat totalitarian in demension. I would like to understand that statement with more clarity.

Discussion Questions for Class

Does collaboration exists with spoiling communities not only between participative members but perhaps an understanding also between producers and members as to what goes beyond ethics?

What role if any does ethics play in an on-line spoiler community?

What are the specific emotional needs met by participating as a member on these communities?

Real World Related-

The book chapter especially had direct relation for me. I was and still am a member of a fan spoiling board for the now cancelled show Roswell. At the time of its hey day we participated in direct sharing of collective knowledge while at the same time making friends. Today it is more a social outlet but it endures.

Caught in the Convergence Pull

The Cultural Paradox of the Global Village discusses internet immersion and the ability of the medium to surround and pull us in from all directions. Internet has become a culture today and even if we don’t have it, we are surrounded and affected by it. It also discusses the created identity we have in cyberspace due to the bits and pieces of our selves we share with companies, etc. It stresses the importance of realizing that Internet is a “digitization” of who we are and there are no guarantees that this identity is one that we want. In turn, we can create any identity we want in cyberspace and unlike face to face connections, people don’t know if the cyber person is the real one.

The points that stood out in Cultural Paradox of Global Village are:

• “The nature of medium is known by its effect on us and on society” this includes both seen and unseen (children acting violent from interacting with violent games, etc.).


• TV comes to us unlike Internet which drawls us to it and immerses us in its world (our concentration experience becomes immersed into the Internet world).
  Internet is the here and now and creates the ability for “simultaneous relationships” – we can not, not participate.


• Cyberspace becomes an extension of our identities, “digiSelf”
  Convergence Culture discusses “convergence” as an overall process to describe how individuals, society, business, etc. all adapt and discover utilization for the new media and how connection is weaved from people to mediums and from mediums to mediums and back again.

For me the points that stood out in Convergence culture are:

• Convergence is both “a top-down corporate-driven process and a bottom-up consumer-driven process” (p.18).


• “Convergence culture represents a shift in the ways we think about our relations to media” – this may very well shape how we represent ourselves in all social and personal processes.


• Convergence is the process we utilize to transform and transition ourselves to the new media operation and processes.
  

Challenge with this weeks reading:

The challenge for me with this weeks readings was taking the time to see how a connection is weaved between self, Internet and all mediums. It very much reminds me of a spider-web, the internet being the spider, the web the connections to all other mediums and I the victim caught up in it all. For me I was just aware of perhaps one small part of the web. The readings have started my thought process on just how much in my life and others may be influenced by the Internet.
Suggested Questions:

1. To what extent should we make ourselves aware of the webbed connection between life cultures (political, social, etc.) and us turning on the computer?


2. How does convergence influence business and within this concept, is there a danger of dealing with artificial DigiSelfs representing business instead of the real deal and vice a versa?
   

Relating to the Real World:

Considering the readings and the idea that convergence is both “a top-down corporate-driven process and a bottom-up consumer-driven process” (p.18). I just had to reference the Superbowl and the massive amounts of corporate money spent to reach out to consumers and draw us into the world of commercialism and buying product. These commercials will be the buzz long after the Superbowl and they’ve actually become a family past time to pick the best (at least in our house), they are blogged about, reshow via computer, etc. a total process of convergence and example of top-down corporate bottom-up consumer ideology.

NBC sells out Super Bowl ads for record $206M

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090131/D962BAF00.html

Homework Questions for Introduction, Convergence Culture

1. What is convergence? Why does the author dismiss the understanding of convergence as a technological process? How does the technological process make convergence possible on the other hand? Please use some examples in your life to illustrate the convergence process.

The flow of content across multiple media platforms; because he feels it includes industrial, cultural and social entities and by providing a distribution tool. Please see my first blog for my hands-on example of the convergence experience.

2. Why does the author claim that convergence is “an old concept taking on new meanings” on page 6? Is the new media going to replace the old media? How does the concept of convergence play out in the relationship between the new and old media?

Because old and new mediums mix and work together, newspapers now provide on-line editions for quick and easy access and envir0onmental friendly choices; change in production and consumption of medium.

3. Please use some examples to discuss how participatory culture helps drive the process of convergence.

While doing my homework, I’m typing, blogging, researching, answering my telephone, having the TV playing and having conversation with family members. We participate in every aspect of our lives. As individuals we are constantly communicating and utilizing all types of media to do it. Toy manufactures make toys based on movies, games are created and sold or accessed on the internet for the same movie, blogs are created to discuss the movies, etc.

4. On page 15, the author cites the report from Cheskin Research, “…What we are now seeing is the hardware diverging while the content converges.” Please use the media ownership concentration happening in today’s society to discuss how the media conglomerates take advantage of convergence.

Movies are not just on the big screen anymore, they are accessed and marketed through TV, computers, newspapers, etc. I in turn after being exposed comment on, start a blog, write a fan fiction, etc. and become part of the web. They take advantage of reaching the largest width possible of geographic region to gain the greatest number of consumers they can to their product.

5. Convergence also takes place in our every-day life besides in the media industry. We are in the age of convergence culture. How do we define convergence culture?

For me it’s being connected at any time to anything; from e-mail to my cell phone.

Questions for Cultural Paradox article

1. What is the “intriguing paradox” the author refers to?

The digitalization of us, the consumer; it is becoming so entwined with our lives.

2. According to this article, how is the internet often compared to TV, and how are they different?

The material looks like TV Internet movies, news, shows, etc., however they differ because the Internet is global and connects us all with shared information. TV is individual and individualized at the moment and does not allow us to share information while it’s being shared with us.

3. Discuss what the author means by television’s centripetal force and the Internet’s centrifugal force?

TV brings society event toward us as viewer, the Internet takes us into the world of cyberspace - we go out there.

4. What does the author mean by DigiSelf, and how is it related to the Greek Narcissus myth identified by McLuhan?

The extension of our identity into cyberspace, databases, and my space type pages, etc. This identity can be totally different then our physical identity. We can create our own identity in cyberspace. It relates to the consequences of our extension of self into other mediums above our physical selves and it can disrupt lives.

5. Comment on the following: “Like acoustic space we cannot shut out the effects of the Internet on our culture and society even if we choose not to use it.”

It is all around us, everywhere we go, even if we don’t personally own it; we can’t not be exposed to and influenced by it.